Supernatural And Spiritual Reasoning Regarding The Physical Properties Of The Universe

“The power and beauty of physical laws is that they apply everywhere, whether or not you choose to believe in them. In other words, after the laws of physics, everything else is opinion.” An astrophysicist by training but an energetic, effective communicator by nature, Neil deGrasse Tyson offers a brief introduction into the origin and evolution of the universe. Compacting the entirety of the universe into a conglomeration of two-hundred pages requires Tyson to move swiftly through his analysis, often employing wit, anecdotes, and science-fiction references to maintain his narrative have an ecstatic atmosphere. His goal throughout this book is as astronomically large as the cosmos itself: to create a scientifically literate population. Speaking

Throughout recorded history, man has sought explanations for the various phenomena that occur in every facet of nature, and when no obvious answer is forthcoming, still a theory is often proposed.  These explanatory theories, often taking the form of stories or chronicles, are usually linked to some sort of mysticism or divine intervention.  By ascribing that which he does not understand to the gods’ will at work, man avoids facing up to his own lack of knowledge in a given area, and also draws comfort from assuming that the universe does indeed function under the guidance of divine beings.  Thus the explanatory accounts that man crafts enhance his own security, quelling the fear of chaos that

Accordingly, a religious person is devout in the sense that he has no doubt of the significance and loftiness of those super personal objects and goals which neither require nor are capable of rational foundation. They exist with the same necessity and matter-of-factness as he himself. In this sense religion is the age-old endeavour of mankind to become clearly and completely conscious of these values and goals and constantly to strengthen and extend their effect. If one conceives of religion and science according to these definitions then a conflict between them appears impossible. For science can only ascertain what is, but not what should be, and outside of its domain value judgments of all kinds remain necessary. Religion, on the other hand, deals only with evaluations of human thought and action: it cannot justifiably speak of facts and relationships between facts. According to this interpretation the well-known conflicts between religion and science in the past must all be ascribed to a misapprehension of the situation which has been described.

An important argument to try and prove the existence of God is the Cosmological Argument brought on by observations of the physical universe, made by Saint Thomas Aquinas, a thirteenth century Christian philosopher. The cosmological argument is a result from the study of the cosmos; Aquinas borrows ideas from Aristotle to make this systematically organized argument.

Bush’s thesis within his book was the view that stability is found in the biblical view of the created world, which presents itself in rational order. Bush argues the naturalistic view relies on changing and erratic scientific reason, which creates an environment of instability. The Advancement disassembles the philosophy of naturalism in a matter that can be easily understood by those outside of academia.

“Rocks of Ages” is Stephen Jay Gould’s commentary on the conflict between secular scientists and religious believers who reject scientific theory when in it is disagreement with religious teachings about nature and origin of the natural world. Certain aspects of his argument hold true, but the application is impossible and still gives one magisteria a dominance over the other. While it is an accurate account of historical disagreements and critical views of well-known people, his argument is flawed by human nature. He repeatedly contradicts himself and maintains a bias in favor of scientific theory.

The Pivotal Dichotomies of Science and Religion Science can help identify and elaborate upon the laws of nature, help humans ascertain an improved understanding of the universe, and enable people to acquire powerful thinking skills to generate innovative and beneficial ideas. However, in the recent centuries many scholars have addressed the numerous conflicts that have emerged between the fields of science and religion. Although certain similar factors can render science and religion compatible, many differences have caused a contentious divisiveness to permeate between the two fields. Many philosophers have contemplated and debated the relationship between science and religion.

The Strengths and Weaknesses of the Cosmological Argument for the Existence of God The cosmological argument seeks to prove the existence of God by looking at the universe. It is an A posteriori proof based on experience and the observation of the world not logic so the outcome is probable or possible not definite. The argument is in three forms; motion, causation and being. These are also the first three ways in the five ways presented by Aquinas through which he believed the existence of God could be shown.

(i) Examine the view that the cosmological argument provides an explanation for the world and is a trustworthy basis for belief in the existence of God. (21)

According to the ancient Aztec religion, in the beginning there was a God named Ometechutli who was both male and female. Ometechutli represented opposites and was both good and bad, chaos and order. Being male and female, Ometechutli could procreate asexually. Ometechutli created four Gods; Xipe Totec who was the God of agriculture, fertility and the north. Huizilopochtli, who was the God of war, the sun, and the south. Quetzalcoatl the God of learning, knowledge, and the east. Lastly, there was Tezcatilpoca; who was the God of the west and evil power. Aztec’s great empire was believed to be around the centre of the universe, so these directions were very important to Aztec’s. The four gods began created the universe; producing water and other Gods. Within the waters was born a sea monster called Cipactli who dwelled in the water and had the body of a fish but the head of a crocodile. Although, every other creature the gods created would fall into the sea and be eaten by Cipactli. The Gods destroyed the sea monster and from his head formed 13 heavens; the tail 7 underworlds and its body became the earth. However, in order to complete the world a great source of energy needed to be created, which was the sun. The sun had to be created through a sacrifice of a God. Four attempts were made through sacrifice, however, only the fifth try was successful. On the fifth attempt, Tecuciztecatl offered for himself to be

In order to discover how the cosmos works, humanist believe that “observation, experimentation, and the testing of theories against evidence has the best track record” (Fry, “That’s Humanism!”).

Science “aims to save the spirit, not by surrender but by the liberation of the human mind” (Wilson, 7). Both religion and science seek to explain the unknown. Instead of surrendering reasoning with the traditional religion, a scientific approach one takes full authority over it. Being an empiricist, Wilson takes favors the scientific approach to the question: “why are things the way they are?” This question can pose two meanings: How did this happen, and what is the purpose. Traditional religion answers this question with stories, many of which are impossible to prove or disprove, making them arguments of ignorance. These explanations entail the adherent surrender reasoning and put faith in the resolution. According to Wilson these are always wrong (Wilson, 49). Science is the most effective way to learn about the natural world. Religion is merely speculation.

Since the dawn of mankind religion has been one of the most significant elements of a society’s social and cultural beliefs and actions. However, this trend has declined due to the general increase in knowledge regarding our the natural sciences. Where we had previously attributed something that we didn’t understand to the working of a higher power, is now replaced by a simple explanation offered by natural sciences. While advocates of Religion may question Natural Sciences by stating that they are based on assumptions, it is important to note the Natural Sciences are based on theories and principles which can be proven using mathematical equations and formulas. Faith however contrasts from the easily visible feasibility of data

the paranormal with as much respect and analysis as physics or the chaos theory."13 The

Principles, and ultimately the Creator-God. According to Johnson, the scientific method or methodological naturalism leads imperceptibly to, and buttresses, metaphysical naturalism that excludes the transcendent and God. For Johnson, this reductionist methodology has impoverished science and led to a corrosive moral/ethical relativism affecting social theory, law, and practice, since "naturalistic metaphysics leads inexorably to relativism in ethics and politics, even though many naturalists dislike relativism and try hard